"I wasn't afraid to go there and say, 'You know what? I was offended,'" she said. "It's not because he did a race joke, but it's way that he did it, and it wasn't funny. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and that was my opinion and that's that."

Reports from inside the live auditions by website TMZ.com claimed the other judges rounded on Mel, with 'shock jock' DJ Howard Stern reportedly telling her she lacked a sense of humour.

But Mel insisted: "We all get along. We're not afraid to argue our points with each other. We're not afraid to fight for a contestant. We're not afraid to tell a contestant we don't like them. It's a real hot-and-spicy panel, and I love it."

PHOTOS: Remember this lot? All the contestants from X Factor 2012 episode one...